Bokura no Yume
by foreverstory
Summary: ON HIATUS
1. Intro

**Bokura no Yume- **

** the dreams that were ours**

Perhaps we all live, sometimes, in our dreams and memories.

Sometimes, these may even seem more real, more tangible than the present moment; and perhaps we want to believe that they are.

Especially when reality is cruel.

In a ruthless gamble of innocent lives, the BO decides to kidnap Ran Mouri in the hope that she will aid them- willingly or not- in their hunt for Shinichi Kudo and Shiho Miyano. These are the only two in the world who know about and have had first person contact with the BO and its criminal activities, but who have, miraculously, evaded extermination- as yet.

Struggling to decide how he can save Ran's life without jeopardizing Shiho's- and his own- will Shinichi be able to find a way to protect both the love of his life and a precious friend, or will he have to reach a compromise, and risk losing everything?

And those dreams and memories we all have- do they give us the will to hold on, or the strength to let go?


	2. Chapter 1

As is custom, I suppose it is important that I make a**disclaimer**before beginning my story good and proper. So here goes:

_I do **not** own any of the characters of the anime/manga series Detective Conan. _

Now that that's done, I hope you enjoy this, and any feedback will definitely be very appreciated. (n.n)

Oh, and yes, some of the memories are from the manga/anime, I hope this isn't infringing any copylight laws 

**Chapter 1.**

They stand on a ship, staring quietly, serenely, into the horizon.

"Such a beautiful sunset," she sighs.

"Yeah," He agrees, looking up at her. Her hair is gently dancing in the wind; her white skirt has been colored a fragile, peach-tinted pink by the sunset. Smiling gently, he continues. "So beautiful."

"I wish Shinichi could be here to see it too,"

The wind echoes lightly, like a whisper against the soft sounds of the sea. The waves lap to and fro, to and fro, fusing into, breaking from each other. They are silent.

/But I _am_ here with you- always

-----

Ran Mouri sat at her desk, scribbling notes onto her calendar.

"Shopping with Sonoko after school next Thursday- the 8th," she nodded to herself while filling up the space with her neat, pink handwriting.

"Karate competition a week from today- that's the 10th of May, and Mom wanted me to go out for lunch with her tomorrow- that's the 4th" She paused suddenly. The space was already filled, with a little heart and a name- "_Shinichi's 18__th__"_.

"I'll just have to tell Mom I'm not free, then," she mused to herself.

/_Just in case he decides to come back/_

Her eyes wandered over to a photo frame sitting on the table. Frowning slightly, she picked it up and stared at it for a moment, her eyes lingering over the face next to her own- the face of a boy grinning somewhat mischievously while balancing a soccer ball on his raised knee.

"Where could he be," she muttered irritably to herself, before a loud shout from downstairs startled her out of her short reverie.

"YOU IDIOT! I ALREADY TOLD YOU TO STAY HOME!"

Huffing to herself, she put the photo frame down and hurried downstairs to find her father glaring at a little boy with glasses. Both were dressed to go out, and her father was accompanied by two other people who were standing at the door, presumably waiting for him to join them.

Drawing her own conclusions quickly (she was used to this sort of conflict) she put her arms around the little boy.

"Conan-kun, didn't I warn you already? Don't mess with Daddy's cases! They might be dangerous for little kids, you know," she told him off in a stern, yet motherly voice.

"But Ran-neechan, Ojisan said that a jewel was stolen from the Pearl Museum! I want to see how someone managed to steal something from a high-security place like that! Maybe it was Kaitou Kid, even!" He whined, cringing inside for having to act so childishly. He did not mention his real motive- to observe the two guests, dressed completely in black and seeming familiarly, suspiciously…forbidding. "I WANT TO GO SEE!"

Ran's father looked positively furious. "I TOLD YOU, YOU CAN'T-"

"Detective Mouri- I'll handle this. Well, little boy… You're welcome to come with us, as long as you behave… And do exactly as I say. Is that a promise?" One of the guests suddenly interjected. Her eyes were hidden behind a black veil, but her bright red, carefully lipstick-constructed mouth smiled - though somewhat artificially.

Detective Mouri continued to glare at the boy. "If you don't behave, boy, I'll box your ears!"

"Don't worry, Detective Mouri, We'll take care of him" Another slight smile. "Okay, little boy?"

"Yes I promise to behave, Obasan!" The boy called Conan swiftly replied, hiding his slight unease beneath a cheery smile.

"Be careful then, Conan-kun! And Otousan! Come home early, okay?" Ran watched them board their guests' car and drive off into the distance. Waving until they disappeared behind the corner, she turned around and re-entered the house.

She did not notice (how could she?) two men in a black Porsche that was parked on the other side of the road. They were watching her every move behind the dark-tinted glass of their vehicle. The man at the drivers' seat slid down the window and lazily tipped the end off his burning cigarette. His eyes, under one of which was a long, blade-shaped scar, narrowed as he smiled slyly.

"Mouri Ran, eh," he murmured while breathing out a heavy cloud of smoke. "Vodka, call the men"

"Will do, Aniki" replied the squat, burlesque man seated beside him. Vodka raised a walky-talky to his mouth, and said in a slow, deliberate voice, "Target spotted. Be prepared and ready to strike in half an hours' time."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

Pitter patter, pitter patter- It is starting to rain. Each drop comes down in hard splats, striking like soft pellets against her skin as she tries to run towards her school. She is almost late but it's in sight already she's getting there-

WHAM.

So intent on reaching on her destination, she slips on the sidewalk and falls down hard on the pavement. The rain pours down heavy and hard as she struggles to sit herself up. Her clothes are drenched; her knees and elbows sting painfully as the rainwater mingles with her blood. Trying to keep her tears from flowing out as well, she bites down hard on her lip.

"Hey, Mouri," comes a familiar voice from behind her. It is Shinichi. "Why in the world are you sitting there like that?"

He comes closer, peering at her wet clothes.

"What's _wrong_ with you-"he starts, before catching sight of her reddened eyes and scraped skin. Without another word he puts his school bag down and squats down in front of her. "Get on," he commands, "I'll give you a ride to school. Just this once."

The other boys- running because they are late for school as well- slow down as they pass the pair, and, grinning and laughing, shout at Shinichi- "Hey, Kudo? Is Mouri your _girlfriend_? You're only in 5th grade, you know! Ha ha ha, Kudo has a girlfriend!"

She watches his face go slightly red as he hurriedly shouts back, "Idiots, I'm just being a gentleman!"

The boys have run off before listening to his defensive statement. "Stupid," he mutters to himself.

Turning his head slightly towards her, he says rather loudly, "Hey Mouri, I'm just being a gentleman. Don't talk about this in school."

She tries to sound cross "Don't worry, I won't. _I _for one don't want to be _your_ girlfriend"

/But deep inside, do you know how much I do/

The both of them are completely wet; he is starting to feel her weight and her knees and elbows are hurting as badly as ever. But somehow, both of them don't mind the pain. Inside of them, they both feel as warm and dry and happy as ever.

-----

Humming, Ran couldn't help but smile at the memory. Shinichi was always there for her, always took care of her, even though he would never admit to it.

It wasn't that she was weak, for she was a Karate black-belt herself and could do a decent job of protecting herself. Still, she liked the idea of having someone, a boy, on whom she could depend. Someone she could care for, and be weak in front of, sometimes. That was what Shinichi was there for.

"And it's your birthday tomorrow," she softly remarked to a pretend Shinichi, "Your 18th birthday."

Still humming cheerfully to herself, she slid on a sweater and carefully placed all her savings into her wallet. Looking out the window at the cloudy sky, she grabbed an umbrella and set out towards the department store to buy Shinichi a birthday present.

A grey and white moving van trailed behind her, turning at every corner she turned at.

It was starting to rain when Ran came out of the department store with her present for Shinichi, an umbrella with little soccer balls printed against a blue background. Cute, but maybe not his idea of cool. Still, it was an umbrella- and Shinichi, despite being rich as he was, did not seem to own an umbrella. Plus, it would do a good job protecting him against downpours like the one that seemed imminent. Ran clutched the carefully chosen and wrapped present close to her, and, opening her own umbrella, hurried her step. Catching sight of a 'shortcut'- a gloomy sidewalk behind a line of abandoned warehouses that separated her from the main road, she decided that she should take that route so that she could reach home sooner and hopefully keep the wrapping paper as dry and undamaged as possible. Inhaling deeply, she ran forward.

The people in the grey and white van had found their opportunity at last. A woman, who had been surveying Ran behind binoculars, smirked and turned to the two burly men seated in the back of the van.

The woman motioned her dyed-blonde hair towards the back of the van.

"Get her."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

She was reaching the end of the short cut. It looked like the old abandoned path wasn't so bad after all- it was short, and half sheltered. The best part was, Shinichi's present had managed to stay dry. Just about to heave a sigh of relief, Ran heard footsteps approaching her. She turned to find two tall, burly men standing right behind her in a very intimidating way. Something didn't feel right. Sensing danger, she turned to run when one of the men cupped his hand over her mouth and the other took a strong hold on her arms. She found herself being dragged over to and into the dark back of a van.

Though struggling hard, she could not release herself from the men's strong grip. She could not see in the dark, but could feel the rough, thick ropes being tightly wound and secured around her wrists, ankles and torso. This was followed by the sharp sound of tape being torn and slapped onto her mouth. She was absolutely helpless.

Silence. No one seemed to be holding her anymore. She tried to widen her eyes to get a glimpse of her captors- even a silhouette would do- when suddenly she heard a click and felt the blinding light of an electric torch shining directly in her eyes. This beam soon shifted, to illuminate a woman standing in front of her. The woman's lips parted to form a sort of would-be smile that was more like a sneer; her whole face was set in a sort of vengeful, cold expression. Ran shivered.

The woman spoke.

"Well well well… If it isn't a pleasure to meet you, Mouri Ran-san. I guess you won't have to do the honor of introducing yourself, because I know all about you already. And of course, it would be completely impolite and inconsiderate if I were to not introduce myself. But forgive me, I am on an important mission and such action would be inappropriate. Why don't you just call me- Kris."

Ran stared fearfully into this woman's fathomless eyes- no; they were not glazed by madness, or passion. They were cold, steely, calculating… But what did she want?

As if reading her thoughts, the woman continued, the smirk growing on her face.

"As for you, my dear… You should be honored to know that you shall play an instrumental role in our current plan, and furthermore, with luck and co-operation you might soon be able to meet with your- shall we say- beloved Kudo-kun."

Realizing that her capture was only bait for Shinichi- to probably _harm_ Shinichi- a surge of anger swept through Ran. She struggled fiercely against her bonds, but to no avail. The woman was still staring at her.

"Mouri-san, we request your full co-operation in this mission, if you are to wish for your own- and Kudo-san's personal safety and survival. If we do find, however, that you are completely useless towards our cause (which I doubt), or that you are hindering it beyond tolerance, we will not hesitate to dispose of you."

Even the sneer had disappeared from the woman's face. She turned to the men standing behind her.

"We don't need her now. Put her out"

A man came over with a piece of cloth that had been soaked in something that smelt like chloroform. Ran could not keep the man from pressing the cloth firmly under her nose. The vapor raced quickly but surely up her nose and she felt the already dark surroundings fading from view…

_/Shinichi, where are you..?_/


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

He is running, as if for the race of his life. One thought and only one thought is on his mind, and it makes his insides squirm uncomfortably, guiltily.

/Oh _crap_, how could I forget _Ran_?! I _promised_ to meet her, how could I get so carried away at the Mystery Club meeting- stupid girls asking for autographs- I'm 2 hours late; maybe she's gone home already. And when she sees me she's going to kill me, _kill_ me/

"Aaaargh!" he exclaims to himself out loud, shaking his head in slight disbelief of his own stupidity. Turning around a bend his own house comes into view, its large form casting slightly ominous shadows onto the sidewalk. The moon shines through slight gaps in the clouds, giving his surroundings a slightly eerie feel. He is afraid, not of the dark, not of the supernatural, but of the dark figure standing still in front of the gate; he has let her down…

"Shinichi?" recognizing her soft voice, he mutters a soft greeting and braces himself for an angry talking to.

It does not come. Instead, her voice comes across as relieved, even happy.

"Thank goodness you've come!" Ran exclaims. The moon shines through the clouds, and its light illuminates the earnest smile on her face. "I thought… thought something had happened to you! I was so worried…"

He has a sudden urge to grab her hands but he resists, instead putting on a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, well… I'm sorry for being so late. I was at the Mystery Club, they had a really good case and-"he pauses, somewhat awkwardly, and then continues earnestly, at twice his original speed- "Look, I got- got carried away, I was a jerk and I promise I'll never let that happen again!"

She does not reply; it is as if she is willing him to continue.

"B-Besides," he continues, his pride willing him to shift the blame now that relief has taken some of the guilt from him, "you shouldn't have waited. You should have gone home. It's dangerous outside, especially for girls like you who are so young and…" He becomes suddenly interested in a leaf on the ground and starts nudging it with his shoe.

"Young and what?" She interjects, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Oh, er… nothing. You know, young girls like yourself should definitely not stick around deserted places so late at night! What if someone hurts you?" he demands angrily, secretly trying to hide the embarrassment from his voice.

He glares defiantly at her, ready for a challenge, maybe even another boast about her karate skills. Instead, she looks up at him, a searching look in her eyes. When she speaks, her tone is suddenly serious.

"But you'll protect me, won't you?"

------

Conan looked around, his eyes slightly bleary, at his companions in the car. The man was driving, his partner seated beside him, smoking and looking at her reflection in the rear view mirror. She had not removed her heavy hat and veil, and Conan found himself absent-mindedly wondering about how she could even see through all that dark fabric.

The car was very quiet; the silence only punctuated by Detective Mouri's arbitrary snores every now and then. They had been in the car for at least an hour already, and sheer boredom had rendered them all quite dull. Yawning, Conan leaned his head against the car door and decided that he might as well continue with his daydreams until they arrived.

"Ah, little boy, are you bored?" The woman had noticed him, and turned around in her seat to face him. Her mouth was in a childish, mocking pout. "Don't worry; we're arriving soon… and Obasan will make sure you have fun. We've a lot in store, you know. Maybe you won't even be home in time for the dinner your Ran-neechan is making for you." She suddenly let out a rather shrill laugh, and Conan felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He felt very uneasy.

Something was wrong; he sensed… something to do with… Ran? He saw her in his mind's eye, and, confused, he took out his mobile phone to call her, just in case-

Just then, the car stopped. The woman jumped out of the car with surprising agility and speed, and opened the door for a drowsy Detective Mouri and Conan, who quickly stowed his phone back into his pocket.

"Well then," she announced, a half-smile on her face, "we've arrived."

Conan had not been to the museum many times, but a look around at his surroundings told him that they were not in its vicinity. He stepped slowly out of the car, and the woman slammed the door behind him. Conan looked back; the man in the car was talking to Detective Mouri, but behind the closed car door he couldn't hear what the man was saying. His unease was growing…

A hand found its way to his shoulder, and gripped it suddenly, tightly. The woman was standing beside him, her mouth now in a smug smile.

"This isn't the Pearl Museum, Obasan! Where are we?"

The woman laughed quietly. "Of course it's not the Pearl Museum, there was never a robbery."

"Then what are we here for? What do you want?" Conan demanded as his heart began to pound inside him.

"Do you really want to know?"

The woman took off her veil and looked at him, and Conan's eyes widened in shock. There was something very, very familiar about her gaze…

A/N Guess who it is? And to Animefangirl2007 and any other nice people that are reading this, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Am writing the next one now. Please do review!


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

"Ja-an!" Exclaimed the woman, her eyes suddenly crinkled into a pleasant, almost childish smile as she lifted the veil from her head. She was giggling as she gripped her temples and seemed to pull off her face to reveal a younger, much prettier one underneath, one that Conan knew very well. Too well, in fact. He grimaced, irritated with his mother.

"Got you again, didn't I, Shin-chan?" Yukiko Kudo pretended to not notice Conan's obvious displeasure as she playfully tousled his hair. "Always the mystery otaku, just like your dad!"

"Yeah, yeah… Whatever." Conan felt his face reddening with embarrassment. This was the third time his mother had tricked him into a false panic. "What do you want, anyways?"

"What do you mean, what do I want? I want to see you, that's what! You're my only son, I hardly ever see you, and when I do drop by, all the way from America and specially to see you, this is what I get?" Yukiko sounded rather offended. "Some welcome for your super-star mother…"

"Well, you could have just called me and I could meet you somewhere or something, you know…" Conan grumbled. He hated it when his mother started playing with him and doting on him; he might look like a little child, but he definitely didn't _feel_ like one and _most certainly_ didn't like being treated like one.

"Very fine for you, you're just a boring old man." Yukiko retorted, annoyed at being treated with such little of the intense admiration men usually gave her. This was her own son! "Well, I was going to call you out, but then I thought I might drop by Mouri-san's house to see how you were getting along with Ran-chan-" she giggled girlishly "-and it would be very strange if I turned up and took you out, wouldn't it, _Conan_-kun? You don't want Ran-chan to suspect anything, do you?"

Conan had to agree that it was a fair argument, but he still didn't like the fact that he'd been tricked into thinking, even hoping, that he might have found himself a lead to the BO. "What's with the stupid disguise, then?"

Again Yukiko ignored his remorseful tone and instead looked quite pleased with herself as she smoothed a crease in her veil. "Well, I just wanted to see if you were still alert and stuff. Because maybe, I thought, Shin-chan likes being a seven year old again! So young, and so cared for by Ran-neechan that he doesn't even want to be seventeen again!"

"Ha-ha, Fat chance." Conan rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. But Yukiko continued earnestly, unabashed by his unenthusiastic response.

"But of course, I also wanted to get your adrenaline up so that you'd be super mega excited to see your mother again. Isn't that so, Shin-chan?"

Before Conan could give another grudging response, Detective Mouri emerged from the car, looking rather happy and still talking with the other man. He gave a careless wave in the direction of where Yukiko and Conan were standing, and then sauntered off with his companion.

"Who's that man with Ran's dad?" Conan asked, distracted.

"Oh that's one of my old classmates, Takahashi-san! I told him about my little plan to get you out, and he agreed to go along with it because he wanted to meet Mouri-san anyways, he says his cat is missing or something… I suppose they're off to have a few beers together now. So it's just you and me, eh Shin-chan? Time to take you out shopping and for dinner!"

"Huh? Why do you come back and take me shopping and to _dinner_ all of a sudden? What's the special occasion? Don't tell me… Someone's been sending you fan-mail again?" Conan asked sarcastically.

"No, you silly! Do you really not remember?" Yukiko's voice was surprised and incredulous. "It's your birthday tomorrow, your eighteenth birthday! I thought you might want to spend the day in a public toilet making a mushy phone call with Ran-chan" –she snickered- "so I decided to take you out today instead. But you'd better call your Ran-neechan to let her know you'll be home late, lest she gets really worried for little Conan-kun!" Teasingly, she gave Conan a little poke in the back and encouraged him. "Go on, go on!"

"Whatever, I'll do it later…" Conan mumbled, red in the face again. He began to walk pointedly back to the car. "Let's get going."

"Whatever you say, Shin-chan!" Yukiko obliged happily, and climbed into the drivers' seat. "Let's go!"

Conan deliberately stuffed his mobile phone in his back pocket, and stared out of the car window grumpily, as if his greatest trouble in the world was surviving his mother's excessive parental pampering.

A/N: Anticlimax. :P A rather lighthearted chapter, I promise it'll get better! I would appreciate any feedback! onegaishimasu


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